Meet the Winemaker: Craig Stansborough of Purple Hands

Purple Hands is one of those Barossa stories that starts small and stays real. Two good mates. One shed. A tiny first vintage. And a stubborn belief that “Barossa” can mean detail, not just size.

Today, Purple Hands Wines has built a reputation for contemporary, finely tuned reds (and a few curveballs), driven by site, not ego. But the part of the story that makes wine lovers lean in is Planta Circa — a label built around Barossa history: ancient vines, family blocks, and fruit that simply can’t be replaced.

The Purple Hands origin story (and why it matters)

Purple Hands began as a partnership between Mark Slade and winemaker Craig Stansborough — a duo known for small-batch thinking and hands-on winemaking. Halliday’s profile describes the wines as “finely honed” and “contemporary,” built from a mix of estate and carefully chosen Barossa vineyards.

Their base is the Stansborough vineyard in the far south of the Barossa Valley — a home block planted to Shiraz, Montepulciano and Aglianico. But Purple Hands has never been a one-site monotone. They also source Grenache from the Zerk vineyard and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Woodlands vineyard near Lyndoch — a key detail, because those sites are where a big chunk of the personality (and history) shows up in bottle.

That “patchwork of dirt” approach is basically the Purple Hands signature: they don’t chase fruit from everywhere. They chase the right blocks — then make wines that feel like a clear translation of those places.

House style: modern Barossa with elegance and texture

Purple Hands isn’t trying to make “big Barossa” for the sake of it. The wines aim for fruit purity, savoury detail, and tannins that feel like structure — not just power.

The best Purple Hands reds tend to do three things at once:

• They smell generous (dark fruits, spice, florals), but avoid that heavy “everything at once” blur.
• They carry texture through the mid-palate — that velvety, mouth-filling feel you want from the Barossa.
• They finish clean, with definition and length, so you want another sip instead of a nap.

Now for the headline: Planta Circa

Planta Circa is Purple Hands’ love letter to Barossa vine heritage — and it’s not a made-up marketing story. Artisans of Barossa describes how Mark and Craig stumbled across a unique piece of Barossa viticultural history, and the label grew from that discovery, with deep gratitude to the families who entrusted them with fruit from tiny, precious plots.

The clue is in the name: Planta (plant) and Circa (around/about) — a nod to the planting era. It’s a way of saying: “This isn’t just old vines. This is a specific place, planted around a specific time, still producing, still speaking.”

What is an “Ancestor Vine” — and why does it hit so hard in the glass?

You nailed the definition, and it’s worth stating clearly because it’s the heart of why Planta Circa matters: an Ancestor vine has stood strong for at least 125 years — a living tribute to the early European settlers who established Barossa’s vine culture. These vines are typically dry-grown, low-yielding, and intensely flavoured. Their genetic material helped populate the region with old stocks that underpin Barossa’s viticultural tradition — and they are believed to be among the oldest producing vines in the world.

The Barossa’s Old Vine Charter formally classifies vine age categories, and “Ancestor Vine” sits at the top: it’s the point where vine age isn’t just impressive — it’s historically significant. That same Charter lists Purple Hands’ Planta Circa Ancestor Vine wines, including the Woodlands (PF Zimmermann) plantings.

The Planta Circa “Ancestor Vine club” (and where Purple Hands sits)

If you love the idea of wines that carry living history, here are the kinds of bottles people point to when they talk about Australia’s most famous ultra-old-vine releases:

• Cirillo Estate, 1850 Grenache, Barossa Valley
• Hewitson, Old Garden Mourvèdre (Koch Family Pilgrim Vineyard), Barossa, 1853
• Langmeil, The Freedom 1843 Shiraz, Barossa Valley
• Henschke, Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden Valley
• Penfolds, Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley
• Poonawatta Estate, The 1880 Shiraz, Eden Valley
• Chateau Tanunda, 150 Year Old Vine Semillon, Barossa Valley
• Elderton, Command Single Vineyard Shiraz, Barossa Valley
• Turkey Flat, The Ancestor Shiraz, Barossa Valley
• Yalumba The Tri-Centenary Grenache, Barossa Valley (planted 1889)
• Purple Hands, Planta Circa Ancestor Vine Shiraz / Cabernet / Grenache (Caiazza Family, originally “Woodlands” PF Zimmermann Vineyard, planted 1885)

That last line is the one that hits: 1885. Not “old vine” as a vibe — old vine as a fact. Planta Circa takes fruit from these sorts of irreplaceable blocks and treats it with the respect it deserves: careful ferments, balanced oak choices, and time.

How Planta Circa is made (philosophy, not a recipe)

Wines like Planta Circa aren’t built for fast release. They’re built for narrative: the season, the block, and the vines themselves. In a Winepilot feature on Planta Circa, the Woodlands site is described as being planted by PF Zimmermann “circa 1880” with Grenache, Shiraz and Cabernet, and the winemaking leans into traditional practicality: open fermenting, indigenous yeast, and gentle hand plunging.

The point isn’t to make the wine taste “oaky” or “modern.” The point is to let ancient vines carry the weight, and to use technique as support. Good oak becomes frame, not flavour. Extraction becomes shape, not force. Time becomes polish, not heaviness.

Notable wines and icon references (without the broken links)

Across Purple Hands, you’ll see a few consistent “lanes”:

• Estate and regional Shiraz that balances generosity with a clean, savoury finish.
• Grenache with fragrance, spice, and Barossa warmth without the jammy blowout.
• Cabernet Sauvignon (especially from heritage Barossa sites) with structure, dark fruit, and proper cellar potential.
• Planta Circa as the top-tier heritage line: wines built around vine age and block story first.

Planta Circa also regularly appears in major Australian wine commentary — including recent Halliday Wine Companion pages for releases in the range. For collectors, that’s a quick signal: this isn’t “brand theatre.” This is a serious project that’s being watched.

Wines to try (shop by collection at Wine Simple)

To keep things future-proof (no broken bottle links), here are the best collections to explore if Purple Hands and Planta Circa is your vibe:

• Shop Barossa wines — for the full regional picture.
• Shop Shiraz — for Barossa spice, depth, and structure.
• Shop Grenache — for fragrance, red fruits and serious tannin detail.
• Shop Cabernet Sauvignon — for classic structure and cellar potential.
• Shop Halliday-rated wines — if scores help you shortlist quality faster.
• Shop Red Wine — for broader exploring when you’re not sure what you want yet.

Prefer to browse everything? Head straight to Wine Simple and shop by style, not hype.

Food pairing suggestions (Purple Hands + Planta Circa)

• Planta Circa Shiraz: tomahawk steak, roast lamb, slow-cooked beef cheeks, or smoky BBQ ribs.
• Planta Circa Cabernet: pepper-crusted steak, lamb backstrap, mushroom dishes, or aged cheddar.
• Planta Circa Grenache: lamb shoulder, duck, char-grilled vegetables, or pork with fennel and herbs.
• Everyday Purple Hands reds: pizza night, pasta ragu, burgers, sausages on the grill — the “Barossa but tidy” lane is very weeknight-friendly.

Buy Purple Hands wines online in Australia

If you’re hunting for Barossa wines with real vineyard stories — including some of the most historically significant vine material in the region — explore Purple Hands and Planta Circa styles through Wine Simple. We focus on quality-driven Australian producers and deliver Australia-wide, so you can build a lineup that actually feels special.

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